Monday, April 6, 2009

The Vault of Horror & Day of the Woman Present: The 20 Hottest Women of Horror

Tonight we're talking about the women of horror, so who better to bring on board than the mastermind behind Day of the Woman herself, the irrepressible and irresistible BJ-C? She and myself worked long and hard to compile the following list of the most beautiful female characters in horror history, and I now leave it to BJ-C to bring it to you in her own inimitable style...

20) Gloria Holden (Countess Marya Zaleska)~When your daddy is the Prince of the Night, one can only assume that you’re going to be a bona fide sex kitten. With those mesmerizing eyes, rocking figure, perfect pout, baby-smooth skin, and lesbian overtones, she’s like rolling all of the women on this list into one. She truly defines what it means to be a Horror Babe.

19) Jenny Agutter (Nurse Alex)~ If you happen to be an American feeling a sick in London and think you may have possibly been bitten by a werewolf, there's no better cure than Nurse Alex Price entering your hospital room with a short skirt and a tray of pills. Enough said.

18) Sherri Moon Zombie (Baby Firefly)~Love his work or hate it, Rob Zombie nabbed himself a real fox. Baby Firefly brings the perfect combination of insanity, sex and innocence, all rolled into one character. I’ll give her a B, an A, a B and a Y anytime she wants…

17) Evelyn Ankers (Gwen)~Every furry man has to have a sexy co-star, and Evelyn Ankers is that woman for the Wolf Man. With those luscious blonde tresses and 40’s pinup body, it's no wonder Lon Chaney [as well as us here at VoH & DotW] noticed her, too.

16) Fairuza Balk (The Craft)~A woman with turquoise eyes hidden behind black makeup and black lipstick. The lead witch of the coven in The Craft, she made famous the image little Goth girls across America try to emulate. She’s probably the scariest sexy women on this list.

15) Milla Jovovich (Alice)~She’s got super-human strength, piercing blue eyes and a figure that makes even women swoon. There’s nothing hotter than a girl in little to no clothing, who can completely annihilate zombies. Not to mention, her legs could kill… and sometimes do.

14) Kate Beckinsale (Selene)~She’s scantily clad in vinyl and leather, and has the ability to destroy anything in her path. Not to mention… she’s hotter than hell. This breathtaking (and powerful) former vampire makes us thank heaven she’s immortal.

13) Janet Leigh (Marian Crane)~By far the most famous woman to ever take a shower, Janet Leigh as Marian Crane is the hottest embezzler to ever step foot in the Bates Motel. She may have been killed off within the first 45 minutes of Psycho, but her naked figure being stabbed is one of the most sensual & terrifying scenes in horror history.

12) Sadie Frost (Lucy from Bram Stoker’s Dracula)~Move over Mina, it’s your best friend Lucy we’re looking for! A vivacious starlet who is much praised for her beauty and sweet nature, the poor victim of Dracula has such a vamp look to her already, it’s impossible to overlook her sexiness… even moreso after becoming a vampire.

11) Hazel Court (Elizabeth in The Curse of Frankenstein)~One of the premier '50s scream queens. Hazel captivated us with that thick hair and plump pout. Not to mention, her hotness got our eyes on someone other than Vincent Price when she stepped on screen. Another one of those curvaceous women, she looked fabulous in every role she played.

10) Caroline Munro (Laura Bellows, Dracula AD 1972)~One of the sassy and sexy women of Hammer Horror, Caroline Munro grazed the screen in numerous forms. A former Vogue model, her big break was performing as one of Hammer’s girls. She however turned down many roles because they required nudity, such a shame ;)

8) Jessica Biel (Erin)~So the remake of TCM wasn’t as well done as it could have been… but Holy Upgrade Batman on the main girl. Jessica Biel was white hot as the uber-conservative daugher of the Priest on 7th Heaven, but seeing her half naked in a horror film... sign me up!

7) Allison Hayes (Mona)~In Zombies of Mora Tau, we find the 50-Foot Woman herself, Allison Hayes, displaying one of the sexiest brassieres ever created. With an absolute perfect hourglass shape, she completely embodies what it meant to be a 50’s Scream Queen.

6) Nastassia Kinski (Irena)~The lips that drove men crazy long before Angelina. The character Irena in the remake of Cat People (which is a film already swarming with sex) makes panthers look sexy, and there is something about that iconic movie poster that makes it harder to walk…

5) Isabelle Adjani (Lucy Harker)~Looking like she was glazed with porcelain, Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker in Nosferatu the Vampyre has one of the most breathtaking sets of eyes to ever grace the silver screen. The contrast of her dark makeup on that ivory complexion of hers draws everyone in, with or without a vampire on her neck.

4) Linnea Quigley (Trash)~ Not sure when Trash is hotter--before she turns into a zombie or after. Her legendary full-frontal graveyard dance is officially the most necessary gratuitous nude scene in movie history. Plus, she’s one of three people on the planet to make pink hair sexy.

3) Anna Falchi (She)~Italians have given the horror world synth-rock music, realistic zombie makeup, and Anna Falchi. In the film adaptation of Dylan Dog, or Dellamorte Dellamore/Cemetery Man, we get the luxury of staring at “She” as she represents numerous women in the film. For lack of a better description, HOTTEST ZOMBIE EVER.

2) Salma Hayek (Santatica Pandemonium)~Vampire Freaking Stripper…Never in my life have I ever wanted more to be bitten by a woman than I have after watching From Dusk Till Dawn. Who doesn’t like seeing Vampire Strippers with snakes in their hands? That’s what I thought…

1) Maila Nurmi (Vampira)~Absolutely exemplifying what it means to have an hourglass figure, Maila Nurmi encompasses everything a sexy gothic pinup should be. From her smashing frame, to her stunning cheekbones, Maila Nurmi jumpstarted puberty for the boys of the classic horror era the world over. Dita Von Teese….eat your heart out.

RayRay - This was a masterful list. Many lovely ladies who were victims, monsters, or monster slayers. And all are very, very sexy. Kudos.

And while I hate to be the tenth person to make a complaint, for the sake of my two cents, there was one, glaring, classic omission:

Fay Wray's Ann Darrow - one of the very original scream queens.

A blonde waif kidnapped by savages, stripped to nearly nothing [for the day] and left tied to posts for the king of all beasts.......my heart is nearly aflutter at this moment. And yet, she comes to seduce that very monster and her very daggers of love slay him. Need I say more?

Great list! It is particularly effective at spanning the genre. I like Fay Wray, but for my money nobody beats Zita Johann as Helen in "The Mummy." She was a little manic in the role, but she certainly was easy on the eyes. I would also add Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein.

It's interesting that Nastassja Kinski appears right above a picture of her father pawing Isabelle Adjani.

THANK YOU RayRay. Not to mention, this list came out of the collaborative minds of B-Sol...as well as an 18 year old girl...So give me a break! We had Fay Wray and others on the list but it would have been like 100+ people, so it's not going to please everyone :D

Which horror film *should* be remade?

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I've been fascinated with horror ever since my parents let me watch The Exorcist at 8 years old (what were they thinking??) and I ran up to my bed screaming when Linda Blair's eyes rolled into the back of her head.Although it often gets a bad rap from "mainstream" critics and audiences alike, horror has often been the most creative and vibrant movie genre of all, from Nosferatu to Saw. Some of the finest motion pictures ever made are part of the horror genre, including Frankenstein, Psycho, The Shining and my personal all-time favorite, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.This blog is the culmination of my 25-year love affair with all things blood and guts--so check back here often for news and opinion on the world of horror. And remember...